Album Review | Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (MusiCube)

Curve Digital combines platforming and stealth-puzzle elements in Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones, turning to Ricky Honmong to provide the soundtrack. The electronic tunes are primarily stealthy and industrial, fitting in with the game's tone and style perfectly (Honmong is credited as providing art for the game, as well), but how well does it stand up as a soundtrack?

The opening track "Graydo" begins with quiet drum beats, and a synth slowly fades in, giving it the sort of tip-toing, "sneaking" feeling expected of a stealth-based franchise. Eventually, deep buzzing works its way in, setting up a darker, industrial tone that remains throughout the soundtrack. Many of the songs have their own beats, rhythms, and clear tones, but plenty of them are also repetitive; picking any song and skipping to various points throughout, it will often yield the same underlying second or two of backing sound or noise. This isn't a bad thing in itself, as the game's soundtrack is first and foremost meant to provide stability and method to players, but on its own it can be overwhelming, especially with many of these songs hovering around the four minute range.

Fans of electronic instrumentals will find a lot to love here. Tracks like "Blip" and "Temfate" feature interesting uses of bells, while "Vastitas" and "DieNasty" (among others) opt for a slower, darker tone, but still remain interesting. "Cruzer" is somewhat repetitive and uneventful for a closing track, but there are still plenty of fun ones along the way, with highlights including "Inko," "Fremz,""Vangrel," "Uzi," and "Nothingz."

Very Good - Bronze Award

Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones leans toward the repetitive side in individual songs, but the sheer number of tracks falls a little bit closer toward "a lot of great stuff to choose from" than it does "overstaying its welcome." A lot of continuous, unchanging beats can be tiresome, especially with such lengthy tracks, but there are enough cool sounds and synth leads to solidify the soundtrack as a whole. When it comes to making music match the tone of its accompanying game, Ricky Honmong and Curve Digital hit the nail on the head—this soundtrack is right at home in Stealth Inc., perfectly fitting in with the game's art style and playing nicely with its sound effects.